Bill Marriott: "Neither I, nor the company, contributed to the campaign to pass Prop 8."
Because Disrespect and Exclusion on the Basis of Sexual Orientation is Wrong Posted: November 11, 2008 4:17:19 PM
As many of you may know I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some might conclude given my family's membership in the Mormon Church that our company supported the recent ballot initiative to ban same sex marriage in California. This is simply untrue. Marriott International is a public company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is not controlled by any one individual or family. Neither I, nor the company, contributed to the campaign to pass Proposition 8.Marriott is definitely "on the move" ... it's now moving to put as much distance between itself and the Mormon church's toxic Prop 8 victory as it possibly can.The Bible that I love teaches me about honesty, integrity and unconditional love for all people. But beyond that, I am very careful about separating my personal faith and beliefs from how we run our business.
I am personally motivated to speak now because Marriott was built on the basic principles of respect and inclusion. My father, who founded this company along with my mother, told everyone who would listen: "Take care of your employees, and they'll take care of your customers, who will come back again and again."
For more than 80 years, our company has grown and changed, but that basic principle still holds up. We embrace all people as our customers, associates, owners and franchisees regardless of race, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Our principle is backed up with a formal diversity program, which we established more than 20 years ago. Our Board of Directors has also focused on this priority and helped us be a leader and a better company. We were among the first in our industry to offer domestic partner benefits, and we've earned a perfect 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for two years in a row. Many of our hotels have hosted LGBT community functions and events for years.
I am very proud of all of our associates at Marriott. And I want all our associates and guests, whom we welcome into our hotels, to know that we embrace your talents and thank you for your many contributions and your business.
I'm Bill Marriott, and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the Move.
Sandy Bertha, of Olivenhain, CA, daughter of Bill's brother, Richard Marriott (Chairman of the board for Host Hotels & Resorts), donated $25,000. Host Hotels is no longer one of Bill's companies, but when he speaks on this issue, he's also speaking as someone who counts family members as major donors to Prop 8.
He's also speaking as someone who has funded and promoted a church that has pursued a decades-long strategy of thwarting marriage equality:
Resigning for Something: Mormon No More ...
So, did you quit the LDS?
November 12, 2008 8:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
As long as they're willing to keep me on the payroll, no.
November 12, 2008 8:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Voters in California passed this thing--THEY are the ones who deserve your ire! Oh, prefer to pick on some smaller group? Isn't that pretty much the same thing as you are complaining about?
I personally wish everyone would just stop even using the word "marriage" unless they are referring to a religious service--otherwise it is civil unions for everyone! The state has no business (tradition notwithstanding) endorsing a religious ceremony of any sort, nor of legalizing it. On the other hand, a civil union can encompass all of the legal and contract rights that the state currently confers on marriage. In many countries in Europe, you must be married at city hall, or it is not legal. Later you can do the church thing if you want to, but you cannot do just the church thing and have a legal marriage. Good idea.
November 12, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, let's run through this again:
Schubert Flint Public Affairs was hired by Yes on 8 because Jeff Flint worked on Utah Senator Orrin Hatch's 2000 prez nomination run.
Richard Peterson, of Pepperdine, starred in the initial Yes on 8 ads - he's Mormon.
The Wirthlins, stars of subsequent ads, are also Mormon.
Sonja Eddings Brown, spokeswoman for the Yes on 8 campaign, is Mormon.
Mormon PR flacks Glen Greener and Gary Lawrence came up with the strategy for scaring the living daylights out of California voters.
77% of individual donations were from Mormons.
The folks on California's street corners? Mormon.
Go to my website, download the PDF, and get back to me: http://www.echols.info/Mormon%20Anti-Gay%20Game%20Plan%201997-2008.pdf
The Mormons ran a script that was 10 years in the making before they took on California.
Admittedly, you don't know me from Adam (or Steve), but I was a kick-ass Mormon missionary in Brazil and I know what I'm talking about: we are twice as organized, three times as wealthy, and a hundred times more educated than any church membership you'll find on the planet.
Until you grow up and face up to the challenge we bring (we're not Evangelical yahoos), you lose.
November 12, 2008 2:25 PM | Reply | Permalink